John Young
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 1.8 mi
- round trip
- 665 ft
- climb
- 1,410 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
John Young is an easy out-and-back hike in Tug Hill State Forest in New York, managed by the State Department of Conservation. The route is about 3.6 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 141 feet, and it starts and ends at roughly 1,380 feet, reaching a high point of about 1,410 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.6 miles in, where the grade reaches 19 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Watertown show July highs around 80°F with lows near 62°F, while winter brings highs in the 20s and regular snow days from December through February. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. The trail sits among a cluster of other routes. Inman Glide, a mountain biking trail, is about 0.3 miles away, and the Whiteway and Electric Loop hikes are each about half a mile off. Paddlers can find South Sandy Creek about 3.9 miles away.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit John Young
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
29° / 11°
18 wet · 12 snow
Feb
31° / 12°
15 wet · 10 snow
Mar
40° / 22°
14 wet · 6 snow
Apr
53° / 35°
13 wet · 1 snow
May
67° / 47°
14 wet
Jun
75° / 57°
12 wet
Jul
80° / 62°
11 wet
Aug
79° / 60°
11 wet
Sep
72° / 52°
12 wet
Oct
59° / 41°
16 wet
Nov
46° / 30°
15 wet · 4 snow
Dec
35° / 20°
17 wet · 9 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Watertown, NY, 10.3 mi away at 497 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
